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by starsandfluff



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Kissing, Light Angst, Post-Canon, Romance, arya left westeros, but now she's back, the finale is canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-02 13:29:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19199800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsandfluff/pseuds/starsandfluff
Summary: Arya returns home to Wnterfell after years of travel and Gendry is not happy with the way she left things.





	home

**Author's Note:**

> This is very random but it was so freaking fun to write! I mean, it's two am and I have two exams for summer school in the morning but whatever, gendrya is life. I hope this isn't too sad, but I promise it has a happy, fluffy ending. The prompt for this one is credited to funotpdialogue on tumblr, it was A: "I'm better off without you." B: "Is that why you're drunk and crying?" Hope you all enjoy this one-shot!

Home. WInterfell. After a few years at sea, exploring islands, Arya was finally home again. And Gendry was here, on lord’s business or something. So, she’d let him see her. And he freaked the fuck out. Shit. That was not the plan.

“Hey,” Arya said, walking into the empty forge.

“Go away, I’m better off without you,” Gendry spat. As Arya came closer, she could smell the wine on his breath as see the tears he had wiped away. “Being with you has never brought anything good,”

“Is that why you’re drunk and crying?” She asked.

“Arya, leave me alone, that’s what you did for years anyway,”

“Gendry,”

“No!” He threw down his hammer with a loud bang, but Arya did her best to not flinch. He was angry, rightfully so, and he’d always been a bull. “Arya, don’t do this to me again, don’t make me care about you again just for you leave me, it’s not fair,”

“I’m not leaving Westeros again,”

“But you’re not coming to Storm’s End,”

“Do you  _ want  _ me to come to Storm’s End?”  _ Do you want me? _ Arya thought.

“No,” _Yes._ _I want to see you running through the halls, sparring in the courtyard, riding through the Stormlands, hanging out in the forge, and laying in my bed. Of course I want you, I’ve always wanted you. Sure time’s past, and I got over it, but we could so easily rebuild that friendship and trust and love._ Gendry thought. _But that won’t happen, I can see it in your eyes. You don’t want me like that. And saying anything would only hurt me._

“Okay,” Arya said, feeling a bit dejected. She had the feeling he’d lied, but at the same time, it wasn’t like she knew him that well anymore. They’d changed over the years. And Arya was sure Gendry didn’t think of her that way, he was just angry, that’s all. “Is that it? You just want me to leave, you don’t even want to look at me, we can’t even be friends?”

“Friends, is that what you want now, Arya? You used to want to sail west of Westeros. You used to want to kill Cersei. You used to want to be with your family. You used to want  _ me _ ,”

“Why do you think I rejected your proposal, Gendry?” Arya asked, genuinely curious. She had expected anger or resentment or coldness, not hurt or any residual caring.  _ He’s so stupid, I loved you, you idiot.  _ She thought.

“You didn’t want to marry me,” Gendry said plainly.  _ That’s how rejection works, where are you going with this? You said you didn’t want to marry me, that was it.  _ He thought.

“I know what happened between us in Winterfell was the first time you saw me that way, but I’ve loved you since before I knew what that was, since Harrenhal even. I’ve just never wanted to be Lady of Storm’s End, I thought you knew that,”  _ I thought you knew  _ me _.  _ Arya thought.

“I guess I’m stupider than you thought,” Gendry said.  _ “You think I’m as stupid as the rest of them?” “Stupider,”  _ He smiled sadly at the memory.

“It took me a long time to stop wanting you in that way, but I never stopped thinking about you,”  _ You were always there for me, you were my best friend, and I hated leaving you but I was so happy to leave.  _ She added in her head.

“Why’d you have to leave, Arya? You left everyone, not just me, you left your family, you left Jon and Sansa and Bran,”  _ I did. I left my family when I left Westeros. But I wrote to Jon and Sansa and Bran. And I had Needle. And I smiled at the three-eyed raven that would occasionally land on my ship. I did leave my life and my family behind, but I took them with me in my heart. And that was enough for being gone a few years.  _ Arya thought.

“I didn’t know what I wanted back then,” She explained to him. “I didn’t know how to be Arya anymore. King’s Landing was horrifying, Gendry, I still have nightmares about it. I needed to leave, I wouldn’t have been happy here, not then,”

“You didn’t even bother to say goodbye, I loved you and you just left without warning,” Gendry said, wincing internally at the memory of the awful heartbreak he had felt.  _ And that was a mistake. But a small one.  _ Arya thought.

“I loved you in that cave, I offered to be your family and you brushed me off,” She reminded him.  _ “I can be your family,”  _ Arya had said to him.  _ “You wouldn’t be my family, you’d be m’lady,” _

“That was a long time ago,”

“I could say the same to you,”  _ It’s been years since then.  _ Arya thought.  _ I know you’re angry, but it’s been a long time. _

“But—”

“But what?” Arya asked.  _ What else could I have done differently? What else do you think I did wrong?  _ She thought. “Sure, I could have ended things a bit better, but did I really fuck it up so badly you don’t want to speak to me or see me ever again? I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye or explain myself well, but I’m not sorry for leaving. It was what was right for me at that moment, and I refuse to apologize for doing what was good for me,”

“I just, I don’t think it could work anymore between us,” Gendry said, looking down to avoid the disappointment in her eyes.  _ I’m sorry.  _ He thought.

“I know you don’t love me like that now, of course you’ve gotten over it. But is friendship seriously not even up for consideration?”

“I could consider it I guess,” He said, smiling at her. _Friends, I can do that._ Gendry thought.  
“Thank you,” Arya said, returning the smile as she turned and started to leave.

“Are you seriously leaving right now?” Gendry asked, his words coming out louder and meaner than he expected.  _ I didn’t mean it like that, but seriously?  _ He thought.

“Yeah, why?” Arya said, confused.  _ What did I do wrong this time?  _ She thought, annoyed.

“As soon as you start to open up to me, you’re turning tail and running, it’s the same every time, a never ending cycle of me trying and you rejecting me,”

“Oh, I’m sorry I don’t wear my shit life and trauma on my sleeve, I’m sorry I didn’t run towards you with open arms since it’s apparently so fucking easy to love you!”  _ Shit, I said love, didn’t I?  _ Arya thought.  _ Whatever. Who gives a fuck what he thinks. _

“ _ Your _ shit life? I grew up in Flea Bottom, I was almost sacrificed by a witch!”

“How awful! A nice apprenticeship and a bed to sleep in, you know what happened at my apprenticeship, I WAS STABBED!” Gendry flinched at Arya’s shouting.  _ The scars.  _ He thought.  _ I never should have said anything, that was so stupid, so mean, she must hate me. _

“I...um,” Gendry’s eyes suddenly locked with hers as he realized what she had said seconds ago. “Did you...wait, what did you say before that? Did you say you love me? Arya?”  _ Fuck, fuck, fuck. No, it’s fine, you’ll get over it again, it’s not like he cares anyway.  _ She thought.

“Of course I fucking love you, why do you think I get this goddamn emotional about you?”

“Um,”

“Forget it, just go back to the Stormlands, Lord Baratheon,” Arya said coldly, looking him right in the eye, and Gendry could tell she didn’t say that in a teasing way. She turned around and walked out, not even glancing back at him.  _ He never cared. Not in the Riverlands. Not back then. Not now.  _ She thought.

“WAIT!” Gendry yelled.

“What?” Arya asked tiredly.  _ Please don’t play these games with me, Gendry. I’m done with feeling awful and sad and guilty for one night. Just let me go. Let me get over you.  _ She thought, feeling tears start to form.

“You don’t get to just walk away from that, Arya, you can’t just drop that and expect me to leave,” He said.  _ That came out of nowhere, what did you expect me to say?  _ He thought, walking towards her.

“What are you going to do then? Stay in Winterfell? You’re going to go back. And since you clearly don't have any feelings for me, friends or otherwise, then I’ll—” Gendry pulled her into a passionate kiss, holding her as if he was afraid to let her go. Arya deepened the kiss, cupping his face with her hands, before they both pulled away slowly. Their breaths were hot on each other’s faces as they stood there, their foreheads still pressed together.

“I’ve always cared about you, I’ve always wanted to be your family, even back in the Riverlands. I was just...I was hurt and angry, I missed you, Arry,” He whispered, his lips inches from hers.  _ He loved me, he’s always loved me, even back then.  _ She thought, unable to hide a smile at the thought.

“I missed you too,” She said, kissing him quickly, before seeming hesitant again. “What do we...Where do we go from here?”  _ What does this even mean?  _ Arya thought.

“You’re not coming,” He stated.  _ You’re going to stay here, and I’m going to have to leave. And then eventually, down the road, we’re going to lose touch. We’ll stop visiting as often, and soon the love will fade. This was a one time thing, it won’t last.  _ Gendry thought, disappointed, knowing his heart would break once more.

“Winterfell will always be home to me. But the Stormlands can be too, so can you,”  _ You’ll always be home to me.  _ Arya thought. Gendry didn’t quite process what Arya was telling him for a second, but when he realized it, he smiled widely and goofily. Arya thought he had the most beautiful smile in the world, she could watch him smile all day.

“Promise you won’t leave me?” He asked.

“I promise,” She said, kissing his nose softly, causing him to laugh quietly. “you too?”

“I promise,” He said, pulling her into a real kiss. “m’lady will always be my family,”

**Author's Note:**

> I hoped you all liked this one, I really loved playing with the inner monologue stuff/thoughts. I'm really against Arya leaving Westeros but this was still fun to write, I mean gendrya. Thank you so much for reading, I hope you felt it was mostly in character!


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